Cradle snatching

[missprim]

Apologies if someone has already posted on this but in the 'showbiz' news at the moment is a story about Caroline Flack age 32yrs dating Harry Styles age 17yrs.
I'm not asking for your comments on this but how you feel in general about an older woman dating a younger boy or indeed an older man dating a younger woman.
Would you go out with someone who is say 20 years younger or older than yourself?
Men who have daughters. Would your daughter mind if you went out with someone the same age as her?
Ladies, would your son mind if you went out with someone his age?

[craft1948]

My general rule of thumb was that you never go out with someone you could have given birth to..............

[cazzz1975]

I have no issue with who people want to date as long as they are adults.

I myself would have no interest in a young boy of that age, I prefer similar age or older

[sara3]

well I wouldn't..

but I see you say a younger "woman", yet a younger "boy".

implying there are different rules for men and women!

[emmie]

in the long distant past i have dated men considerably older than me, and had no problem with that. But i confess that a 32 year old woman seeing a 17 year old boy doesn't seem right somehow, and if it was my son, i would wonder what on earth she was doing.

[cazzz1975]

ahh yes I notice that sara..

[MarkRae]

Isn't there a theory that the ideal age for a girlfriend is half the man's age plus seven...?

[sara3]

so I should be looking for a man of... 76?

holy crap :o/

[craft1948]

When I was 32 I once went out with a 19 year old............oh dear.

[sunny-dave]

I was always told that a reasonable rule of thumb was that the younger person should be at least "half the older age plus 7".

But I don't actually see that, provided both people are mentally competent and over 18, it's anyone else's business at all.

[missprim]

Sarah I didn't realise I had done that but do you think there are different rules for men and women?

[EvianBaby]

I wouldn't say I wouldn't but I would at least make sure they were old enough to be able to buy me a drink.

[sunny-dave]

Which would give sara3 free rein with men (or indeed women) from 30 - 76 ...

[emmie]

i reckon as long as he's still breathing, it's a result. !!

[cazzz1975]

your post suggests you frown more on the caroline flack version of "cradle snatching" more than the older guy, younger woman

[sara3]

I would say that was your subconscious view, missprim.. I'm completely live-and-let-live.. so long as it's legal. I'd be quite shocked if my teenagers brought home someone significantly older, though.

Sara(h)

[missprim]

Sara, sorry I spelt your name wrong. Don't know what you're worried about. If Mark is right I should be dating someone who is 116 yrs old !!!

[~Wingnut~]

Mr Wingnut is 16 years older than me, met when I was 18 and he was 34. Been together 15 years, married 12. My Mum wasn't too chuffed at first (he was referred to as my "friend") but sadly not long after we met my Dad was diagnosed with terminal cancer and Mr Wingnut moved 200 miles to be with me (I was on a middle year placement when we met) and helped support me & my family through a really hard time. Wasn't long till he was the son she never had :o)

[sara3]

I suspect Mark's calculation has been adjusted to his own needs.. !

[ladybirder]

The answer to your question missprim is Yes, I would definitely go out with someone 20 years younger than me - in fact that would be the minimum:-) I'd never want to go out with anybody my age:-(
Of course whether they would want to go out with me is another question.